The Unlikely Maquis
by BlackDomino
Summary: Keira Jackson thought she was just a regular girl, until she wakes up on Chakotay's ship with no memory of how she got there. My first fanfic. First few chapters are set nine months before the Pilot episode; 'Caretaker'
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** This story is made for entertainment purposes only and not for profit making. The characters and ships of Star Trek Voyager remain the property of Paramount Pictures. I have just borrowed them to fill my spare time, the character Keira Jackson is mine.

A clap of thunder shook the dark, humid air and seconds later a flash of lightning lit up the desolate landscape to reveal a lone figure running through the sodden fields as though they were fleeing for their life. The rain poured heavily down and bounced off what seemed to be a small, airborne shuttle. From one of the small indentations situated at the front of the shuttle, a bright orange light emanated from the within. Suddenly, without warning, the orange light erupted from its opening and shot across the drenched fields towards the fleeing individual. The being felt the heat that the orange ball radiated and veered swiftly to their right, causing the fiery ball of heat to hit the ground. The blast caused the muddy ground to spray high and far, splashing the person's cloak as they continued to run away from the pursuing shuttle.

The dark silhouette of a tree line began to emerge away from the dark region as another bout of thunder and lightning streaked and rumbled across the sky. With new determination the being changed their direction. The long hooded cloak that they were wearing became snagged on the trunk of a fallen tree. As the material became taut, it hurled them backwards, causing them to be dragged through the muddy ground. Their wet fingers slipped as they tried to undo the clasp around the neck. A soft click announced that the task had been completed. Now free of the heavy material, they were able to move more quickly and with greater ease.

Another flash of lightning lit the sky brighter than before and revealed the individual to be a humanoid of human origin. The rain soon drenched the under shirt and waistcoat that they were wearing and the clothes hung to their slim frame. Accompanied with long dark hair the fleeing human was indeed a female, in her late teens. Her head whipped round to locate the shuttle and her eyes grew wide with fear as she saw how close it was. Looking back towards the tree line she tried to move her legs faster but a combination of saturated mud and fatigue made her limbs feel heavier than they actually were. She was within the immediate vicinity of the tree line when the shuttle fired another ball of energy. She threw herself to the ground and felt the ball of energy fly over her flattened body and pound the ground in front of her. The impact caused clumps of mud to fly through the air and the girl covered her head with her hands to prevent injury. The shuttle pursuing her had to swerve in a tight circle to avoid colliding with the tree line; the whine of the engines joined the symphony of the storm as it sounded through the deserted landscape.

Seizing her chance the young woman leapt up to her feet and continued her path to the edge of the forest. Once inside the protection of the trees she continued for several meters before she leant against the bark of one the thicker trunks in order to catch her breath. A sharp pain in her side gave her trouble when she tried to take deep breaths and slow her heart rate. It was thumping loudly; she thought it would give her position away. Cautiously she peered round the tree and looked for the shuttle. It had landed several meters from the tree line and now there were two men disembarking from the shuttle. They were holding something in their hands and they pointed it towards the trees. Two beams of light leapt forward and the men began to sweep them through the trees as they searched for the girl. Moving back so she was hidden from the light, her eyes searched from left to right as she weighed up her options. She could stay and be found or she could run and find somewhere to hide and hope that they wouldn't find her. Not wanting to wait, she drew several deep breaths and pushed herself away from the tree and raced deeper into the thick, overgrown forest. One of the beams of light intercepted her body and the owner alerted their companion to her location. Soon they were in hot pursuit of the young woman.

Her booted feet flew underneath her as she twisted and turned round the trees and bushes as she tried to lose her followers. Bursts of orange light flew through the air and as they struck solid objects, the impact caused sparks to shower down and burn the damp ground. One of the men following the girl had stopped in his pursuit in order to get clear shot. The aim had been perfect and the beam of light struck the girl's thigh, ripping the soft muscle and flesh. Her leg buckled and twisted and she fell heavily to the ground. She grunted at the sudden pain that ran up her leg. She tried to push herself up off the ground to carry on running; however her pursuers had caught up with her, their weapons trained on her chest.

"I wouldn't get up if I were you." One of the men said, the badge on his chest shone as the lightning illuminated the trees and the rain that managed to break through the thick canopy. The young woman gripped the wound on the leg to stem the blood flow with one hand and dragged herself backwards with the other.

"Nice shot Lieutenant." The second said to the first. "Not so fast." He said pressing a booted foot on her injured leg. The pressure caused her to gasp involuntary and she used her other hand to try and remove his foot, but it was to no avail.

"Thank you Commander." The Lieutenant said. He gestured to the girl, "What should we do with her?"

"I think we should leave her here. Self righteous Maquis bitch. The sooner they realise their pathetic attempt to stop the treaty the better. They are nothing more than a thorn in the Federation's side." He pressed down on her leg and the pain caused tears to form on the girl's face.

"Sir, what about Command?" The Lieutenant asked.

"What about it, Lieutenant?" He asked, sounding exasperated as his subordinate began to question him.

"They'll see that we deviated from our flight path and will want to know why."

"Lieutenant Shaw, I'm sure we can come up with some way to alter the shuttle's sensors and computer records. There's no reason for them to know the real reason." The Commander said before removing his foot from her leg and kicked her in the ribs. The girl slumped to one side from the force of the kick and clutched her ribs with her hand. Her breathing became short and laboured. "I hope you burn in hell." He spat before leaving her on the ground her body shuddering from the chill of the rain. The girl lifted her head and watched them leave; darkness began to cling to the edge of her vision slowly engulfing her eyesight completely. Her last thought before the darkness gripped her consciousness was that she hoped someone would find her.


	2. Introductions

**Disclaimer:** Please see the Chapter One – Prologue

**Chapter One - Introductions:**

The first thing I became aware of was a dull throbbing coming from my left thigh. I couldn't remember why it was hurting. I drew a deep breath and felt a sharp pain running along my ribs as they expanded to accommodate the extra oxygen. An orange flash glared across the inside of my eyelids and I remembered being chased. I opened my eyes and an intense white light sent shooting pains across the back of my skull. The pain was so sharp and sudden I let out an involuntary gasp. The sound of hushed voices alerted me that I was not alone. At first I thought it was the two men who had been chasing me; but as I turned my head to locate the source of the noise I saw that the two men who stood there had darker skin complexions than those who had been chasing me.

As I looked at them closely, I saw that the one nearest to me was tall with very dark skin and bizarrely enough, pointed ears. The second man appeared to be in his late thirties, with short, raven black hair in a military style and a tattoo above his left eye. His tanned skin gave him the appearance of an Indian that lived on the Plains of America 200 years ago. The man with the tattoo nodded to the man with the ears and they both walked over to the bed I was lying on. Clenching my stomach muscles, I ignored the pain in my ribs as I moved myself into a seated position. I bent my uninjured leg and rested my foot against the inside of my wounded leg. The pain in my ribs was severe at first before it began to fade over the next few minutes until it was nothing more than a pin prick with each breath I took.

"How do you feel?" The Indian asked me.

"I'm fine." I said eyeing the man with the ears cautiously. The Indian seemed to notice my curiosity.

"This man is a Vulcan, have you not seen one before?" The Vulcan watched stoically as he was observing my reaction. I shook my head.

"I hadn't heard of one until now." I replied honestly. They both looked at each other and I wondered if I had said the wrong thing.

"Where are you from?" The Vulcan asked me. His voice gave no notion that he had any emotions, or he was able to mask them well.

"I'm from San Francisco."

"You're from Earth?" The Indian asked me, I gave a small nod.

"Last time I checked." 'Where else would I come from?' I thought to myself. The Vulcan interrupted the conversation that the Indian and I were having.

"What is the current year?" He asked in a monotone.

"Why?" I asked confused. I looked at them both before saying. "The current year is 2010." This caused both men to raise an eyebrow.

"2010?" The Indian repeated. I nodded. "Excuse us for a moment." He said before walking back over to other side of the room, out of my earshot. The Vulcan joined and they both spoke in hushed voices.

After several minutes of watching them converse, they both turned back to me and I gulped. Whatever they had decided couldn't be as simple as driving me back home. The man with the tattoo spoke first.

"My name is Chakotay and this is Tuvok." He said gesturing to the Vulcan with his hand, who tilted his head in acknowledgment. I smiled weakly back.

"I'm Keira, Keira Jackson. This isn't 2010, is it?" I asked them, looking them both in the eye, trying to see if this was some elaborate joke on my part.

"I'm afraid not, the year is 2370." Chakotay told me. Nope, this was definitely not a joke.

"But that's nearly 400 years into my future. How do I get back?" I asked my voice pitching slightly with fear. Tuvok chose this time to speak.

"Until we know the precise conditions that brought you into the 24th Century, we might not be able to send you back to you're own time." I looked at the wall at the end of the bed. My eyes began to water, all the people I knew would long be gone, are long gone. I'm alone. That thought alone left me feeling both slightly relieved and yet afraid at the same time. I had no idea who these people are and what sort place 2370 was.

It took a few minutes for the tears to stop forming and I was able to turn back to the two men. I sniffed;

"So where exactly am I? What is this place?"

"You're on my ship, the Val Jean." Chakotay replied.

"Is that a ship that floats on water?" I asked, injecting what I hoped to be a little humour to the situation. Chakotay chuckled.

"I'm afraid not, we're in space, in orbit of a small moon." I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and looked down at the wound on my leg.

Except there was no sign of the burn mark that had looked so raw the last time I had checked it, before loosing consciousness. All that was left was a red patch of skin where the wound had been at its deepest and some bruising to the edge of this.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Tuvok asked me, I picked at the fraying fabric that lined the edge of the hole in my trousers before answering.

"I remember running through a thunderstorm, I feared for my life. There was this small vehicle like a space ship chasing me. It shot these bright balls of orange light and heat." I looked around the room as images flashed through my head of the night that I was shot. "There were these two men; they chased me on foot when I reached the trees. One was a Lieutenant, Shaw his name was and the other was a Commander, they didn't say his name. They both had these badges on their chests, they were both the same, it's hard to describe what they looked like." Tuvok began to tap into a small rectangular padd.

"It's ok, you're doing fine. What else do you remember?" Came the soft voice of Chakotay.

"They called me this name…Maquis. I don't know what it means but from the way the Commander spat it, I don't think he liked them." Chakotay smiled. "What?" I asked him, confused as to why that would make him smile. Tuvok handed him the padd.

"Is this what the badges looked like?" Chakotay asked me, handing me the padd. On the screen was an identical image of the badges worn by the two men. I nodded.

"Yes that's the one. What does it mean?" I asked him.

"It represents an organisation that has no interest in helping us."

"Us? You're the Maquis?" I asked. Chakotay nodded.

"The organisation is called Starfleet and those two officers are from there. Though their morals must be missing if they pursued you in a shuttle and then on foot."

"Why don't they like you?" I asked, curious as to what motive the two officers might have for causing me pain.

"The Maquis are fighting for a cause that conflicts with what Starfleet is trying to achieve. It appears you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm just glad we found you in time. A few more minutes later and you would have bled to death." I looked up, slightly shaken by how close I could have been to dying.

"Thank you, I apologise if I caused you any trouble in doing so."

"It was no trouble. Is there anything else that you can recall?"

"No that's all I can remember, I'm sorry it's not much help."

"On the contrary, you have provided a great deal of information. Overtime you will remember more details that can help us to discover a way for you to return back to your own time." Tuvok interjected, speaking for the first time since they had told me where I was or should I say 'when' I was.

"Tuvok's right. You won't remember everything right away, until you do, you're our newest crew member. Welcome aboard Miss Jackson." Chakotay said, giving a mock salute. I returned the gesture and slid myself off the bed and stumbled as my left leg cramped up from not having to support my weight for some time. Chakotay grabbed my left arm and held me steady as I waited for the sensation of pins and needles to leave my leg so I was able to support some of my weight.

"Careful." He murmured softly.

"I'm ok." My gaze was glued to the floor and my cheeks flushed from the effort.

"Would you like something to eat?" He asked me. I nodded and he changed his grip on my arm so that they were linked. It was probably to prevent me from injuring myself further if I fell for a second time.

"I will be on the Bridge Captain." Tuvok told him before standing to attention. Chakotay nodded and Tuvok left the room.

"Captain?" I said raising an eyebrow. "You're in charge?" He nodded as he steered me out of the Medical Bay. As we walked down the corridor we passed several other people, most of them were human except for a bald, blue man who turned out to be a Bolian. All of them wore similar clothes to Chakotay and me, mainly cotton shirts and leather boots and jackets.

Once we had reached the Mess Hall, the limp I had was hardly noticeable. The doors 'swished' open once we are were within a few inches and I jumped slightly as it startled me. Chakotay tightened his grip on my arm in case my leg buckled again.

"They're automatic, there are sensors that detect when someone is near and they open. It's the same when they close. Do you have any food allergies?" He asked me as we stopped in front of the food hatch.

"I'm a vegetarian, that's not a problem is it?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I'm a vegetarian too. The vegetarian option, please, two of them." He asked the man in charge of distributing the food.

"What are they?" I asked as I watched the man put two silver packets into a pot of hot water.

"They're ration packs, dehydrated meals. The water seeps through the porous membrane and hydrates the contents. We don't often get the chance to stock up with fresh fruit and vegetables so we eat these." He picked up both trays and walked over to a table at the back of the room, I followed him, stumbling as I caught my foot on the leg of a chair. Steadying myself I hobbled over to where Chakotay was setting the trays down. I moved towards the chair that would allow me to see the entire room without having to turn my head to far. Chakotay saw this and smiled.

"You don't trust us yet, do you?" He asked me as I was sniffing the tray of food.

"I don't mean to cause offence, especially after you saved me but for all I know you kidnapped me and you're planning to sell me as slave or something." I said placing my tray down on the table.

"A slave?" He said sounding amused, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, a slave." I replied quietly to myself before sitting down and sticking my fork into the pile of food; shovelling a large forkful into my mouth. Despite it only being a ration pack it was full of flavour. It tasted as though it had been made from scratch with fresh ingredients. My eyes widened as the rich sensations hit my tongue. "For a ration pack, it's not bad." I said piling more food onto my fork, trying to sound unimpressed.

"Eat it slowly, unless you want to end up back in the Medical Bay with a sore stomach." He said to me. I nodded and began to take smaller bites.

We ate our meal in silence; Chakotay seemed content to watch my expressions as more non-human crew members entered the room.

"_Captain Chakotay, please come up to the bridge._" A female voice announced. I looked up from my nearly empty plate to see where it came from. But there was no one in the room who appeared to be addressing Chakotay directly. He saw my puzzled look and explained it to me.

"Things have changed a lot since the 21st Century. It's an internal communication system is installed into the ship which allows anyone on the ship to contact the person they wish in times of need. It is a great asset in times of battle."

"Battle?" I exclaimed.

"There's no need to worry, if we find ourselves in a battle, I'll make sure your safe." I smiled meekly. Chakotay looked round the room and spotted a tall, fair skinned man, with a similar hairstyle. He beckoned him over. "Keira, this is Mike Ayala, Mike this is Keira; she's the girl we found on Sakara Prime. She's from the 21st Century and I need you to get her up to speed with our technology, also maybe introduce her to some of the species that aren't from Earth." Mike nodded.

"I guess you have some questions as to what goes on here. I'm sure you'll pick things up quite quickly." He said, holding out his hand.

"I guess I might, it depends if you're a good teacher or not?" I countered, shaking his hand, smiling innocently up at him through my eyelashes. Chakotay laughed, watching our friendly exchange.

"I think you've got your hands full here Mike, be good now Keira, Mike will keep you safe." He told me as he got up. I gave him the mock salute he gave me back in the Medical Bay. He returned the gesture before patting Mike on the shoulder and left the Mess Hall. Mike turned to me.

"So, have you seen much of the ship yet?" I shook my head.

"Just what's between here and the Medical Bay." I told him. He offered his hand.

"I guess the first thing that we should do is give you a tour of the ship." I took his hand and stood up. My injured leg shook slightly and Mike held my other arm to steady me. "You ok?" He asked. I nodded.

"My legs a little numb that's all. It's fine now." I said shrugging the pain away. "Lead the way, where to first?" I asked following him out of the Mess Hall, weaving in and out of the tables and chairs.

We reached the swishing doors and were walking through the grey walled corridor.

"Where would you like to go?" He asked.

"I don't know what is there to see, this is my first time on a ship that flies in outer space. How about where you work?" I suggested.

"I work in Engineering." I gave him a perplexed look and he explained. "Engineering is an essential part of the ship, without the engines we wouldn't get anywhere fast."

"What exactly do you do in Engineering?" I wasn't sure of the different roles there might be.

"I make sure that the fuel we use is able to reach the engines in the right composition, ensuring that no impurities contaminate the fuel source. If contaminated fuel was to get into the engines it would cause no end of problems. For example the engine might stall and though this might not seem a major problem at the moment, imagine if we were trying to outmanoeuvre an enemy ship. It could prove to be a fatal mistake; I'd probably be scrubbing the plasma conduits for the rest of my natural life if something like that happened. Providing it isn't a fatal mistake, that is."

"I'm guessing that isn't a desirable job?" He shook his head. "Will I have to scrub the plasma conduits?" He laughed.

"No, I don't think Chakotay is that cruel to make you do that."

"Don't' you call him 'Captain'?" I asked, even where I can from, people who held a rank were called be their rank, be it Lieutenant, Captain, or Major it didn't matter. It was done out of respect.

"Chakotay and I have known each other for a long time and we have saved each others lives more times than I can remember. I have earned his respect to call him by his first name. I only call him by his rank, if we are communicating with another ship or if we are around people we don't trust 100%." I looked at the floor as we walked through the corridors of the ship. What had these people been through to have saved each other more than once, it was hard to imagine. Mike must have seen my solemn expression as he continued speaking. "It doesn't happen as often as it used to. When we first met the Maquis, they consisted of only a few ships and several hundred individuals. Now we have grown to consist of several thousand individuals of many different species and over a hundred ships. We have gained many people who are willing to fight for our cause since the Cardassians declared their occupation on Bajor."

"Cardassians? Chakotay said that the Maquis are fighting a cause that conflicts with the goal of the Starfleet. Are Starfleet and the Cardassians allies?" I asked, slowly piecing together the place that I found myself stuck in.

"You're very perceptive. The Maquis are trying to protect an area of space called the Demilitarized Zone. The Cardassians are trying to expand their borders to include the Zone. However many planets and colonies, many of them human, exist within this Zone and are being invaded and terrorized by the Cardassians who want the land and resources for themselves. The Maquis are fighting to keep the colonies safe from the Cardassians. Meanwhile Starfleet and the Federation are trying to negotiate a peace treaty with Cardassia in exchange for space flight paths and resources." He explained stopping once he realised that I was no longer walking next to him. I had stopped and leant against the wall. "Is it you leg?" He asked. I nodded.

"It's just a little sore; I'll be ok in a moment. You were saying about the Federation. Is it just one planet?" I asked as Mike stood near me, almost as protectively just Chakotay had in the Medical Bay.

"The Federation is made up of over 150 different planets, each contribute something that benefits the other, some offer foodstuffs, others have raw materials needed to repair or build ships. On Earth there is an Academy called Starfleet where many of the species who are part of the Federation can go and earn their commission. Many that graduate go on to serve on the Starships, some are used for scientific endeavours, others are used to patrol the Federation border of the Demilitarized Zone against some of the more aggressive species and us Maquis too." He said with a small chuckle.

"The people who attacked me are from Starfleet. Do they all hate the Maquis?"

"No, not all of them, some of them are even sympathetic to our cause; though most of them see us a nuisance, in the way of their peace treaty with the Cardassians."

"Can anyone go to Starfleet Academy or do you have to belong to the Federation?"

"The applicants to the Academy are looked at on a case by case basis; many of those apply, providing their grades are good enough and they pass the Entrance exam usually are offered a place. Did you know Chakotay attended the Academy?" My eyes widened.

"Really? What happened?" My voice full of curiosity.

"He did, even though he came from the Demilitarized Zone, he managed to convince a Starfleet officer called Captain Sulu to sponsor him through the Academy. He worked his way up to the rank of Commander when he quit Starfleet and joined the Maquis."

"Why did he quit?"

"It's not for me to say, you're better off asking Chakotay yourself."

"So do you do anything else apart from working in Engineering?" I asked Mike. He nodded.

"I'm also part of a security detachment for Chakotay when he leaves the ship." He replied, "Now enough about the Maquis, I want to know more about your life before you joined us."

"What do you want to know?" I asked him.

"Well, what were your family like?" My gaze dropped instantly and I began to fiddle with the fraying fabric on my trousers just as I had done in the Medical Bay.

"They were pretty ordinary I guess. My favourite relative was my Grandpa on my mother's side. We were very close as he was the closet thing to a father figure I had. My own had walked out on my mother whilst she was still carrying me. After my second birthday, she married a man called Stuart who was ok and they had three children, Amie, who is two years younger than me, Tom who is four years younger and George who is six years younger."

"You don't sound like you're very fond of these siblings." Mike said picking up on the malice tone that had crept into my voice.

"It's nothing to worry about, it's in the past now." I said dismissing the conversation. I pushed myself of the wall and began to walk down the corridor, continuing the path we began earlier. Mike followed and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't think it is in the past as you say it is. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't see the point; no amount of talking will change what happened."

"You'll feel better for getting it off your chest. What happened?" He asked. 'What was this, 20 questions?' I thought to myself. Sighing heavily I looked up.

"My Grandpa became very ill when I was five, he was losing his memories and we stopped going to visit him as a family. I guess Stuart didn't want Amie and Tom to see him that way, they were still very young. I used to sneak out of the house and I would go with him to see Grandma's grave. Every Sunday we went without fail. He told the most wonderful stories of when he was with the Navy. I never tired of hearing them; he'd probably told them all at least three times as he would forget what he had already told me, though it didn't matter. It was enough to just be with him, everything else didn't matter anymore. After we visited Grandma's grave we would go back to his house and I'd help tidy up, I'd cook him his favourite meal, roast chicken with creamy mash potatoes." I smiled fondly at the way he would smile, his face lighting up like a young child seeing their first snow fall. "It was heartbreaking seeing him slowly slip away turning into someone that couldn't remember who I was, but I didn't show it as I didn't want to make him worry. He was always happy knowing that I was happy. I just couldn't let him see I was unhappy, I couldn't do that to him, you understand?" Mike nodded.

"I do. What happened between you and these children?"

"I don't want to bother you with it Mike. What's done is done. Nothing can change what happened." I looked up to his eyes and they gave me a sincere look as though to say, 'you can trust me.' I looked at the floor and my shoulders sagged.

"It began around the time Amie was five. I tried to be a good sister for her and her brothers, but for some reason she resented me and told lies and tales about me to my mother and Stuart, sometimes for things that she had done wrong. But the thing that always got me was that they would take her side, their precious little angel who could do no wrong. It was like she was jealous that we had to share the same mother. If anything it should have been me who was jealous, not her. It began with little things, taking my toys and books that sort of thing. Then she caught me as I was returning home from visiting Grandpa. I asked her, begged her to keep it a secret, terrified of the consequences. She told my mother and Stuart over dinner, apparently she had known where I was going for a long time. I never forgave her after that. I wasn't allowed to leave the house unless I was accompanied by either Stuart or my mother even when I went to school." I dropped my gaze ashamed of the tears that were forming. "The next time I saw my Grandpa was at his funeral. I had lost my best friend and I couldn't even say goodbye. When we both started High School, she made sure that I had no friends. I guess she must have heard me crying myself to sleep one night."

Mike placed a caring hand on my shoulder and used his other hand to wipe away the stray tear that was sliding down my cheek. I didn't want to admit it but it felt god to finally be able to tell someone. A huge weight had been lifted from my heart. I placed my hand on the hand on my shoulder. Mike looked down at my disheartened stance and drew me into his body. His strong arms encircled me and he moved his hands in a soothing circular motion. I stiffened at the gesture out of shock but relaxed as he drew a hand to my head and began to stroke my hair. The hug I was being given was almost as good as the hugs my Grandpa gave, supporting and fatherly.

After what seemed like an eternity Mike drew away and leaned down to look in my eyes.

"Feel better?" He asked, giving me a small smirk and a look that said '_I told you so_.'

"I guess." I admitted. Mike ruffled my hair and looked down at my leg.

"How is it?" He asked. "Are you ok to continue your tour?" I nodded.

"I'm fine. So Engineering?"

"Engineering." Mike said continuing down the corridor. I followed.

"Thank you for the hug." I murmured. Mike nodded and placed a protective arm around my shoulder.

"That's ok, I have two young boys of my own and even they need a hug every now and again." This sparked my interest.

"You do? What are they like?"

My tour was almost over and we were heading back to the Mess Hall when we heard Chakotay's voice over the intercom

"_Mike, please report to the Bridge and bring Miss Jackson with you._"

"It looks like we've been summoned." Mike commented.

"Which way do we go?" I asked, I hadn't been to the bridge yet. Mike moved away and held his arm out in the direction in which we were going before I had to stop.

Five minutes later we walked through the doors that lead to the Bridge. It was a small room with coloured panels lining the walls, many of the buttons were flashing and I assumed they each served an important purpose. I looked around and saw Tuvok sitting at a station to the right of the Bridge, to the left a small-framed woman sat her hands dancing over the panel pressing the buttons faster than I could follow. My eyes blurred for a moment before I shook my head. To the centre of the Bridge sat Chakotay who was talking to another man who wore similar clothes to those that I had seen of the Maquis that I had met so far. Getting out of the chair Chakotay placed a hand on the woman's shoulder taking her attention away from the console over at my direction I felt her scrutinizing gaze hit me. I lowered my eyes to the floor.

"This is her? She's a bit young isn't she?" She growled at Chakotay, her brown leather waistcoat was open revealing a green, cotton tunic, her leather boots reached up to her knees. Her brown eyes flashed angrily and her short brown hair framed her face. On her forehead was several raised ridges. Apart from that, she looked human.

"I'm 19." I snapped at the woman, drawing my eyes to meet her gaze head on. I wasn't going to be intimidated by this woman who knew nothing about me. "If my age is an issue perhaps you should just drop me off on the nearest planet." I retorted. We held each others gaze for several minutes and the atmosphere on the Bridge grew tense as the seconds ticked by.

After a few more minutes of meeting each others gaze, her mouth curled into a one-sided smile. She turned to Chakotay;

"I like her, she has guts." Turning to me she held out a hand. "I'm B'lanna Torres, the engineer on this ship." I shook her hand firmly.

"I'm Keira Jackson, the girl from the 21st Century. Nice to meet you." B'lanna released my hand and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I think we'll get on fine Keira. I'm sure I can turn you into a skilled engineer in a few months."

"You think I'd make a good engineer?" I asked looking towards Chakotay for approval.

"If B'lanna thinks you have potential, I'm not one to argue with her." He replied. I smiled; at least they didn't plan on keeping me confined to one room.

"Then I look forward to learning what you have to teach me." I told B'lanna. Mike placed his hands on my shoulders protectively.

"What if I wanted to teach her?" I looked up.

"Surely I can learn from you both, that way you both win." I smiled up at him, finding it quite amusing that these two strangers were fighting over me. B'lanna stepped forward towards Mike and he stepped back, his hands dropping from my shoulders. B'lanna stood next to me and placed her arm around my shoulder.

"When you grow a backbone Mike, then you can teach her all you want." She said smirking. "We girls have to look out for each other, right Kid?" I smiled at Mike and nodded.

"Sorry Mike, but I don't think I should cross B'lanna." Chakotay watched the exchange and seemed pleased that I had found the transition from being a complete outsider, from another time to being part of this unique crew in such a short period of time.

"Well you can fight over her later I wish to speak with Keira; I suggest you two go back to work." B'lanna moved her arm from my shoulder and returned to her station, Mike winked at me and walked over to the station B'lanna was working at and began to give her an update on the fuel purity. Chakotay tapped me on the elbow and lead me to another door on the Bridge. The door opened to reveal a small office, containing a desk and two chairs, one on each side of the desk. The desk was littered with padds similar to the one that Tuvok had used earlier to show me the Starfleet badge. "I take it from the conversation on the Bridge, you've settled in quite well."

"I guess, Mike showed me around and gave me a lot to think about, he explained the Maquis cause and why you're fighting. He also explained the Federation to me. But I'm sure that there is still a lot that I don't know and I don't think that I will ever know all of it." I paused to see if I had missed anything. I grinned and said. "He also told me about scrubbing plasma conduits in Engineering." Chakotay laughed.

"Ha ha, I see. How is your leg?" He asked concern showing on his face.

"It's much better now, thank you." I replied not wanting to cause any concern for the Captain.

"I see." He replied clearly not convinced. He gestured to the seat in front of his desk. I accepted and sat down. Chakotay sat on the edge of the desk and folded his hands in his lap; "I have given some thought as to where we should let you bunk. I've managed to convince one of my engineers to share quarters so you can have the room next to B'lanna. I thought you might want to have the space to yourself; until you have fully settled in but not be too far from someone you know." So that was the reason he introduced us.

"Thank you Captain, that was very thoughtful of you to consider my feelings." He held up his hand.

"You don't have to call me Captain, Chakotay is fine." I blushed slightly.

"I guess I still have a lot to learn."

"That's ok; you'll pick it up over time." He got up from the desk, "I'll show you the quickest way to your quarters from the Bridge so you'll know the way in case of an emergency." I nodded and followed him out of the room. Walking across the Bridge we moved towards the door leading back to the corridor. My foot caught the deck plating and I stumbled slightly. Mike looked over his shoulder and our gaze met, a light blush crept up my cheeks from embarrassment and he smiled back, making sure that I was ok.

The route to my quarters was easy to remember and there was even a weapons locker on the way.

"In case we get boarded. I'll have Mike show you how to operate our weapons." Chakotay had said. I didn't feel comfortable knowing that the ship had been boarded before and could be in the future, but the promise of a weapons lesson eased those feelings.

I was given a security code to use so I could gain access to my quarters. I decided to change it to my date of birth, as I doubted anyone outside of the ship knew that I was from the 21st Century.

Chakotay left me to explore my new room.

"I need to see someone to discuss our flight path; I'll be back in 15 minutes to take you to engineering to introduce you to the people you'll be working with."

"Ok, I'll be here when you return." I replied. He smiled back and left the room, the doors hissing as they closed leaving me alone for the first time since I had woken up. I wasn't even sure what time it was, my body clock was telling my that it should be mid morning, though I suspected that it was more like mid afternoon.

I surveyed my new room, it was plain but functional and the room was slightly smaller and more cramped than Chakotay's office. The walls were the same grey as the corridors and the floor was covered in thin, beige carpet. It was covered in stains and looked to be older than me. A single bed sat against one wall, a small desk and chair opposite the bed. The small bathroom contained a device called a sonic shower. Chakotay explained that because water was a valuable resource in space, these showers were designed to emit sonic waves which removed the dirt and grime from one's skin and hair.

Next to the bathroom was a small closet with shelving for clothes and other items that would be locked away during space flight, especially combat situations. This prevented things from being broken if we were attacked, Chakotay explained to me. It also saved time by not having to pick everything up after the ship had been in battle. It might not seem like much but I was grateful that I was given a bed. Things could be a lot worse if someone else had found me.

I walked over to the bed and sat down, spreading my hands behind me, I twisted my tired body so I had my injured leg on the bed, stretched out in front of me. Lying down I stared up at the ceiling and thought of how much my life had changed in only a few hours. Without consciously knowing, I had been thrown into a futuristic war with a bunch of rebels. My mouth lifted into a smile as I thought of the film Star Wars and the Rebel Alliance that fought hard against the Imperial fleets. Though it seemed the Federation was doing what they thought was right. I couldn't believe that they were willing to abandon human colonies. The way Mike had described what the Maquis were fighting for; it was hard to imagine that the Federation was anything but wrong.

I was told by my Grandpa not to take sides until both parties had been able to explain their side of the story. The Maquis weren't going to provide an accurate version of the Federation's story for me. My smile vanished as I thought of my Grandpa once again. My Grandpa had died the summer after I turned ten years old yet I was unable to cry for months after his death, despite how close we were. After his funeral I began to isolate myself in my room and refused to leave its sanctuary. I even refused to eat and it wasn't until I was hospitalised from the weight loss that I realised how much I was letting his death tear me apart. After I spent several months gaining a small proportion of the weight that I had lost I was handed a worn leather box.

My Grandpa had given me his old telescope from his navy days. I would spend hours every night plotting familiar constellations as well as trying to discover new ones. I would often imagine that I could reach up and touch them and they would take me to the very edges of the sky. To strange and wonderful planets filled with undiscovered creatures and plant life. The telescope's range had difficulty reaching as far as Mars but I treasured it dearly. After each time I had used the telescope I would place it back in the worn leather box it was given to me in. The tough leather also formed a barrier around my emotions until I could no longer shed a tear. The stars were my escape route from the tedious routine of my day-to-day life.

By the time I was eleven; I showed hardly any emotion at all, my focus was entirely on my studies and I had even forgotten the very stars that had helped me to forget the loneliness of my childhood. Several years ago I had discovered the journals I used to keep when I was younger in a shoe box under my bed along with the telescope. My dreams of riding among the stars returned and I had decided to pursue a career in the field of astrophysics. With new determination I studied for longer, living off four hours of sleep most days. I smiled at the memory of when I had received my acceptance letter to a preparation course at the N.A.S.A. Space Program. All of my hard work had finally paid off.

Unless I got back to my time in the next three weeks, I wouldn't be going to that course. But I got something better. Instead I get to live my dream, flying among the stars visiting the strange planets I imagined as a child and this was worth all the years I had spent alone. I would even have people who enjoyed the same things as I did. A pain in my lower abdomen drew my attention to a more pressing need compared to my trip down memory lane. Swinging my legs of the bed I made my way to the bathroom. A few moments later I had reappeared, feeling better for the first time in a while. I had used a small amount of my water rations to splash my face, washing away the fatigue. I examined my face in the mirror. I had a large bruise down the left hand side of my face 'must have been from when I hit my head when I fell.' I thought to myself. It was turning a nasty shade of yellow. Above my right eye there were several shallow scratches as well as scratches to my neck. They were from the bushes and trees I ran through when I was being pursued.

I looked pretty awful yet neither Chakotay nor Mike seemed to have noticed, which was doubtful due to the size of the bruise. My blue eyes travelled to my hair line and saw the remains of a small gash that I had no recollection of getting. Like my leg, it too seemed to have been healed in the same way, with red skin being the only indication that there had been a wound. I looked around the bathroom and saw a small compartment under the sink. Inside was a wrapped comb. I pulled it out of the wrapper and pulled the hair-tie out of my hair. Where my hair had gotten wet from the rain it was very knotted and tangled. Practically pulling the hair-tie from my head I managed to free it from the tangles. By doing so I also ripped out several hairs and my scalp tingled from the sensation. Using the comb I roughly pulled it through my red locks. After several minutes they began to straighten out and it got easier to pull the comb through. My hair was now knot-free and I was able to tie it back again. Pulling the loose hairs of the hair-tie and twisted my hair and wrapped it into a knot at the base of my skull. Once I had all of it in the knot I used the hair-tie to secure it in place. Some strands began loose as they were to short but the majority of my shoulder length hair was swept out of my face. A practical style once I would began my work in engineering.

A shrill chine sounded throughout my quarters and it took me a second to realise that there was a doorbell on the keypad. I walked out of the bathroom and back into the main living space. I pressed the square button at the top of the keypad and the doors opened to reveal Chakotay standing there. I smiled up at him. His eyes rose to my head and my hair.

"A sensible style." He commented. I tilted my head to one side and he caught sight of the bruise. Raising his hand, he moved it to tilt my head more to the right, so he could see it better. I flinched involuntary as his large hand filled my vision. He paused. "It's ok, I won't hurt you, I just wish to see it better." He murmured softly. I moved my head back forward and his hand soon moved my head to where he wanted it. "Is it painful?" He asked.

"No, it's ok." I half lied. So long as I didn't move the left side of my face it was fine. His thumb began to probe the bruise, probably to check for swelling. After a few minutes he seemed satisfied with his inspection as he withdrew his thumb. Holding his arm out, he swept in the direction of Engineering.

"Come, B'lanna's expecting you. You don't want to keep her waiting do you?" He asked.

"No Sir." I replied, smiling.


	3. First Contact of a Different Kind

**Disclaimer:** Please see the Chapter One – Prologue

Chapter Two – First Contact of a Different Kind:

*beep* *beep* *beep*

Went the monotone tune as I tapped my engineering report for B'lanna into a console for her to read when she starts her shift in the morning. The dimmed lights of Engineering cast dark shadows which danced on the walls. I looked up to watch the shapes they formed. My eyes blurred as I looked back down at the console, the rows of data blurring into a kaleidoscope of colour. The doors hissed open and I looked up to see if the next shift is here to relieve me. It turned out to be Mike and my shoulder's drooped slightly with disappointment.

"Still working Kid? I thought your shift ended an hour ago? You've missed dinner."

"I didn't realise it was so late, I'm waiting for Kurt Bendera to take over the night watch for me, do you know where he is?" I asked as I saved the report to B'lanna's work station. Mike shook his head and was about to say something but was interrupted by the doors opening again. We both looked up to see who it is.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I over slept." Kurt wheezed, his face flushed from running through several decks.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again Bendera. Everyone has to do their fair share." Mike scolded the young man. He slumped into a chair at another console and kept his eyes down. Mike turned to me, "Ready to go?" I nodded. I gave Kurt a small smile as I walked past; Mike however just scowled at him before turning on his heel to follow me out of the room.

"Have they stopped serving food?" I asked Mike as we walked through the deserted corridors of the ship, our boots tapping against the bare metal floor.

"They have, it's 2300 hours." I sighed heavily and let my head hang low. "Come, I have something to show you." He placed a hand in his pocket and pulled out a piece of cloth.

"What are you doing?" I asked curious as to what this something was.

"Surely you know what a blindfold is?" He remarked looking at my puzzled expression.

"Of course I do." I snapped defensively. He chuckled and held it up.

"Please, trust me." He smiled. I lifted a finger warning him not to try anything funny and waved it at him before I slumped my shoulders in submission and closed my eyes. Mike lifted the cloth and I felt it brush against my skin, giving off a light tingling sensation. I felt the cloth being knotted behind my head. Something tugged my arm and pulled me down the corridor. Once I was walking Mike slid his arm through mine and guided me through the corridors towards our destination.

"Do I get to know where we are going?"

"No, it's a surprise or don't you know what they are either?" I hit him on the arm to let him know he was treading on a thin line. "Ow, what was that for?" He asked in mock hurt.

"You know what it was for." I reply as I stumbled over an uneven section of deck plating. Mike gripped my arm with both of his to steady my balance.

"Careful." He murmured.

"You know it would be a lot easier if I could see."

"I suppose it would, but then it would ruin the surprise."

"Speaking of which, how much further do we have to walk, my legs are like lead." Mike stopped walking abruptly, causing me to throw my hands out in front of me.

"We're here." He tapped several commands into an unseen command padd, a door whisked open and a breeze of air fluttered my face. Mike stepped behind me and untied the blindfold. The cloth slid down my face and as I opened my eyes, I could see what the surprise was. I raised a hand to my mouth.

"What's all this in aid of?" I asked stepping into the room to get a closer look.

"A small celebration to commemorate your first month with the Maquis." I smiled as I walked towards the table to look at the steamy dishes.

"But these are fresh, where did you get them from?"

"I saved them from our last pick-up. I wanted to do something special." I turned to refuse such a treat. "It will be a waste if you don't eat with me."

"I don't know what to say." I was truly humbled by the gesture.

"Say nothing and eat." He motioned the chair in front of me. I silently sat down, my eyes grazed over the colourful roasted vegetables. I picked up the spork and began to load my plate, a lightly spiced aroma drifted up from the dish and began to fill the air. I looked up and saw that he was still standing.

"Well, aren't you going to join me?" I smirked at him as he shook his head and sat down in the chair opposite and began to fill his plate too. Reaching for a piece of salted bread he looked up at me.

"How have things been for you?" I stopped mid chew. "Well?" I continued to chew slowly as I thought of what to say.

"I suppose it was difficult to begin with. Adjusting to this new life, I guess it has got easier as time has gone by. However it will be a long time before I'll be fully confident with myself in your time."

"I see. Is there anything that we can do to ease your transition?" I shook my head.

"No! You've all done enough; the transition is purely personal now."

"Ok, but my offer still stands. How are your lessons going?" He asked spooning some of the spiced vegetables onto his plate.

"There are going well, though Tuvok's history lessons are, how should I put it?" I looked at the table trying to find the right word.

"Dull? Boring? Monotonous?" Mike said offering words to me; I shook my head and snapped my fingers.

"Mind-numbing. I think it's the lack of emotion in his voice. It's just so monotone, he reminds me of my old chemistry teacher Mr Jones at school. The subject matter was fascinating but his delivery was downright dreadful."

"You must have the concentration of a saint to be able to sit through an hour of Tuvok reciting Federation history everyday."

"Not really, it's remarkable how much things have changed in just a few hundred years. Though it is quite hard to concentrate sometimes."

"I have heard Tuvok talking to Chakotay about your lacking concentration." I looked up, my face paling slightly. "But don't worry, I heard Chakotay say something about you still adjusting to your daily routine."

"I guess I should try harder. Do you know when I'll start my tactical and weapons training? I've been jogging at night to keep my fitness up as you suggested."

"Soon, Chakotay has been talking to those with the most tactical experience to help prepare a training programme. You should hear something soon, I'm sure your duty schedule will change slightly to spare several hours each week."

"I'll have to thank the Captain when I see him next." I placed my spork on my empty plate. "Thank you for dinner, it was delicious, as usual."

"No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I should let you get to bed, it's very late and you have a history lesson in the morning." I groaned at the reminder.

"Thanks for reminding me." Mike stood up.

"Come on." He herded me out of his room. We walked the short distance to my quarters in silence. When we reached my door, Mike drew me into a bear hug. "Good night Kid. Sleep well." He kissed my forehead lightly.

"Good night Mike." I replied before tapping in my security code into the wall padd and walked wearily into my dark quarters.

I woke with a start to the sound of klaxons blaring throughout my quarters. Blinking my eyes I tried to clear the fog in my brain and tried to remember what these sirens meant. Two blasts in quick succession followed by a single, long blast.

It meant…Argh what did it mean?

It meant the ship is in danger.

The ship is in danger!

WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!

I scrambled out of bed and rooted around for my boots. I had managed to get one of them on safely and was attempting the second when the ship lurched violently, throwing me to the floor. I growled as my shoulder took the brunt of the fall. I wedged my foot into my boot before attempting to get up again. Once I found my balance, I used the wall to edge my way to the door. I pressed the button to release the locking mechanism in the door, but nothing happened. The ship lurched again, this time throwing me into the back wall of my quarters. I remembered to keep my body relaxed and the impact hurt a lot less than the first time. The ship was shaking quite violently and I briefly wondered how hard B'lanna was pushing the engines. I used the override to get my door open and stepped into the corridor. Two crewmen rushed by carrying repair kits. I ran in the opposite direction and headed towards Engineering.

On my way, I passed a small lookout window and paused to look outside. A huge ship was positioned off our port bow. Its immense size completely dwarfed our ship. Beams of orange light struck our ship contrasting vividly against the blackness of space. With each impact the ship shuddered and groaned. For a moment it seemed as though time had slowed everything. The phaser fire from both ships inched lazily towards each other and the resulting impact pooling on the shields, ricocheting slowly along the shield bubbles.

Then all too suddenly, time resumed its normal pace. The enemy kept firing at an impressive rate and our shields were barely holding against the ruthless assault. I tore my eyes away from the window and carried on my way to Engineering.

When I arrived I was greeted by utter chaos. People were shouting at each other frantically over the high-pitched whine of the engines and the exploding consoles. Those who weren't busy with repairs were tending to those who had been injured. As I surveyed the room to find Dalby, who was my immediate superior other than B'lanna and Chakotay. I spotted him hunched over a burnt out console, next to it was the charred body of whoever had been unfortunate enough to be standing by it when it exploded. I manoeuvred my way across the room. As I neared the console, the smell of burnt flesh was overwhelming and I held my breath. I saw Dalby reaching behind him for a diagnostic tool. I moved forward to pick it up and place it in his hand.

"Thanks." He said over his shoulder, not looking but starting on the repair work. "You haven't seen Jackson by any chance?"

"Right here Sir." I replied as I passed him one of the scanners when he reached behind him again.

"Good, I need you to go up to the Bridge and tell B'lanna that we have just over 30% of our energy reserves left before we lose engines. I have enough power to get us into the plasma cloud two light years away on heading 2340.56 which should provide us some cover. All communications are down and I can't get them fixed in time." I nodded.

"30% energy reserves left, plasma cloud two light years away on heading 2340.56. Got it." I replied as I stood up and made my way back out of the crowded room. The journey wasn't a long one but with the ship rocking and swaying from the enemy fire it wouldn't be easy.

I picked my way through the corridors dodging the other Maquis as they rushed in the opposite direction and fought to stay on my feet as I was jostled back and forth, bouncing long the corridors. Bright flashes of light blinded me as I moved past the small windows showing that we were not winning this fight. As I reached the door to the Bridge, my lungs burned from the effort of reaching the bridge. As I tried to get enough oxygen in them and to remove the stitch in my side; I paused for the briefest of moments before punching in the security code and I pulled myself through the doors. The Bridge was in a worse condition than Engineering. Smoke was bellowing from a burst power conduit and sparks were flying through the air at an alarming rate. I squinted through the haze and found B'lanna at her console behind the pilot's chair. I moved towards her and waited for her to finish talking to Chakotay, who was piloting. She saw me as I was being thrown about.

"Jackson! What are you doing here?" She shouted through the battle klaxons that were still blaring.

"Dalby sent me with a message. Internal communications are down and he can't repair them quickly enough. He said that we have 30% of our power reserves left before we lose engines. He suggests that we head to a plasma cloud two lights years away on heading 2340.56." I relayed my message and watched as B'lanna passed it onto Chakotay. I watched as he seemed to be weighing up our options before turning to Tuvok.

"Fire our last photons then transfer all available power to the engines. I'm setting a course along heading 2340.56. Once we reached the plasma cloud cut all power except to essential systems only, hopefully it'll make it harder for them to locate us." Tuvok nodded and enter the commands into his console.

"Firing photons. No effect on the enemy shields. Transferring all available power to the engines. Transfer complete." His calm voice bringing some comfort in the otherwise chaotic atmosphere we were all experiencing. I turned to head back to engineering when B'lanna grabbed my hand.

"Good work Jackson, why don't you stay up here and help with the repairs. You're the smallest out of all of us." She gave me a small one-sided smile. I nodded. I moved to one side of the Bridge and watch the view screen and the plasma cloud we were approaching. We entered the blue swirling cloud and I let out a breath that I didn't realise I was holding. The hum of the engines slowly faded as did the klaxons and we were soon drifting on manoeuvring thrusters only. The crew on the Bridge all relaxed visibly and began to move in their seats, calling out damage reports and picking through burnt pieces of equipment.

"Internal communications are still down throughout the ship, I'd better head back to engineering to give Dalby a hand." B'lanna told Chakotay as she stood from her seat. "If you need anything send a message with Jackson." Chakotay and Tuvok both turned round to look at me. Tuvok, as usual looked serious but Chakotay wore a smile.

"So, how did you find your first real battle with the Cardassians?"

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the single most terrifying experience of my life." I answered with a smile of my own.

"You did brilliantly. B'lanna seemed impressed with the way you conducted yourself." I felt my face warm slightly at the compliment before I turned my attention to the burnt out console to my left.

"Thank you Sir." I replied. I found the repair kit from behind a loose panel and began to scan the damaged circuits with the diagnostic tool, its small light flashing intermittently.

The majority of the repairs to eight hours to complete. The Cardassian ship had given up trying to find us after three hours, with them nearly finding us on more than one occasion. Though with them now gone from the immediate area everyone could breathe easy and moral had seemed to lift a little. After I had repaired the console on the Bridge I was asked to head to the medical bay and assist with treating those with minor injuries, cuts and bruises, that sort of thing.

I was clearing up after I had finished treating someone with a cut to the head when another one sat down. I was sorting through the basic medical kit I was using to find clean gauze and bandages. I looked up to greet them. It was Gerron, the quiet Bajoran that Dalby watched over from Engineering. I gave him a weak smile.

"What brings you down here?" I asked, hoping he would say something; however he rarely spoke to Dalby unless it was important. So I was surprised when he offered his hand and said.

"I cut my hand." He lifted it up so I could see it clearly. It was deep and blood was dripping from it steadily through the cloth he was using to stop the bleeding. I gently removed the cloth in order to inspect it better and to make sure there was no obvious sign of dirt. I picked up a square piece of gauze and placed it over the middle of the cut.

"Can you hold it in place?" I asked him as I went to pick up a bandage. He placed his other hand over the gauze to hold it in place. I pushed the sleeve of his injured arm back a little in order to begin wrapping the bandage. As I moved up his wrist he moved his hand from the cut and instead of looking at what I was doing he began to stare at my face. Once I had finished the first bandage, blood was still seeping through. "I need to put a second bandage on, please hold still." He nodded and continued to look at me. Halfway through the second bandage I felt as though he had burned a large enough hole in my skin with the way he was staring. I raised my gaze from what I was doing briefly to look into his eyes. "Do I have something on my face?" I asked. He didn't reply but he lowered his gaze. I tied off the second bandage and watched to see if it had stopped the blood. There was a faint spot in the centre of the dressing but not enough to warrant another bandage. "All done. You'll need to keep it bandaged for a couple of weeks until it begins to scar. Your bandages will need changing every three days. Is there anything else? Ah yes, avoid getting them wet if possible." I looked up to meet his gaze and watched as he lifted his mouth ever-so-slightly as though he was going to smile. He nodded and stood from the medical bed.

"Thank you." He said before walking from the room.

"Your welcome." I called after him watching him leave. I pulled a clean cloth from the pack and began to clean my hands from any blood that may have gotten onto them. I looked around the room and saw that the last of those with minor injuries had left. Only those who had more serious injuries remained for observation. The three Maquis who had been fatally injured were kept in a makeshift morgue until we reached the planet we were heading for to be buried.

"Jackson." I turned to face our doctor, well the person with the most medical knowledge out of the whole ship. "Thanks for your help today. Go and get some rest." I nodded and tidied my things away. I disposed of the bloodied bandages and cloth in the waste deposit. Closing the medical box and storing it back in its cubby hole; I stretched my shoulders until I heard the joints pop quietly. I walked towards the door and into the corridor.

On my way back to my quarters I passed the window where I had first seen the Cardassian ship. I stopped and looked out, but I saw nothing but empty space. I leant my head against the cool glass and closed my eyes. Pieces of the battle flashed through my memory. Phaser fire and photon blasts. The shaking of the ship and the charred face of the engineer next to the burnt out console. The smell of burning flesh still hung around me. I pushed myself away from the wall and continued my way back to my quarters.

Once the doors whisked shut leaving me alone with my thoughts, I locked the door and began to strip my soiled clothes. My skin prickled as the cold air brushed against it. I left my clothes in a pile near the entrance to the bathroom. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the small mirror and saw some of the bruising I had on my body. I turned round to see large bruise forming along my shoulder. It must have been from when I hit the floor putting on my boots. It was already turning a nasty shade of purple. At least I could hide this bruise under my clothes, unlike the bruise I had on my face. Looking at my front I saw bruises forming on my left hip and right ribs. I must have hit the floor harder than I thought. I gave a small shrug of my shoulders before stepping into the sonic shower to clean the stench of today's events away.

**Author's Notes:** It has been a while since I've had the time and inspiration to write more of this story. For those who have read it so far and are still following it, I thank you for your patience. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter.

I promise more will be written soon.

BlackDomino.


	4. Heaven on Earth Part One

**Disclaimer:** Please see the Chapter One – Prologue

Chapter Three – Heaven on Earth pt.1:

A few days after my first battle with the Cardassians, Chakotay set a course for a nearby star system which contained a planet that housed one of the few many Maquis bases spread throughout the Demilitarized Zone. Also on the planet were several colonies where some of the crew have families. The scheduled stop was all that everyone could talk about.

"So what's this planet like?" I asked Mike as we were working on a routine maintenance round on the ship's internal circuitry.

"It has huge fresh water springs that make a sonic shower seem like a dirt bath. Clean, unpolluted air and open skies as far as the eye can see." He replied, almost reminiscing at the thought.

"It sounds like heaven on Earth." I replied. Mike turned to me and looked confused at my use of words.

"I suppose it is." He nodded towards the kit box on the floor. "Can you pass me the scanner?" I handed him the piece of equipment.

"Will your family be there?" Mike shook his head.

"I received a sub-space message from my wife two days ago. They will be at Tiberius IV in a month's time to visit her sister. We're scheduled to be there about the same time."

"But there's no certainty that you will meet up with them? How are they?" I asked interested in the antics his sons usually got up to.

"Jack has lost another tooth and Charlie is running circles around his mother again." His smile faltered and the sparkle disappeared from his eyes. I placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"The next month will pass in no time, you'll see." Mike placed a hand over mine and patted it.

"I'm sure your right. Come on we have several more relays to inspect before B'lanna will let us leave for lunch." We packed the equipment into the kit box and replaced the wall panel. As we walked to the next relay, which was several decks down, we passed Seska who was coming out of one of the cargo holds. She seemed to pause and she looked like she had been caught doing something she shouldn't. Her expression change a second later and her smile was back.

"Good morning." She said, her voice a pitch higher than usual. I nodded in reply.

"Good morning Seska. Your cheerful today, any reason why?" Mike asked her, raising one of his eyebrows at her. She shook her head in a carefree manner.

"No reason, though we are making a stop soon. It'll be good to get off the ship and breathe some real air for a change." She turned to me. "You'll like it, when we get there, you probably haven't seen anything as beautiful as a sunrise with three suns. " My eyes widened slightly at the thought. It did sound beautiful. Seska's eyes dropped to our maintenance kits. "I'd better let you get back to work, I'll see you engineering later on." We nodded and watched her walk away with a slight bounce in her step. I turned to continue to walk down the corridor to our next relay when I walked straight into the chest of someone. I stepped back and rubbed my nose and looked up. It was Chakotay. He cleared his throat, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Good morning Keira, Mike. How are you both today?" He wore the same guilty 'I've-been-caught-doing-something-I-shouldn't' look as Seska had, though he was slower at hiding it.

"Good morning Chakotay." Mike replied. "We're fine, how are you doing?"

"I suppose I can't complain. I'm looking forward to some time planet-side, moral seems to have lifted since the battle." We both nodded in agreement. "Well, continue with whatever I have stopped you from doing." He nodded at me then Mike before he walked past us, straightening his shirt as he went.

"What was all that about?" I asked Mike as we watched our Captain walk out of sight.

"I have no idea, though we may have stumbled across a secret rendezvous." He raised an eyebrow at me in a comical fashion.

"Secret rendezvous indeed." I commented before we continued our way back down the corridor. We reached the inspection hatch of our next relay. Pulling the wall panel away I knelt on the ground and began to begin the scan the relay for any sign of malfunction or decay in the power couplings.

"_Mike __I __need __you __in __Engineering __immediately.__" _B'lanna's voice called out through the corridor. Mike stood up.

"Can you finish here on your own?" I nodded and held my hand out for his case. He handed it to me and walked off to Engineering to see B'lanna. I became so engrossed with my work that I soon stopped hearing the footsteps of people as they walked past me and even my own breathing. I reached behind me for a replacement bi-lateral coupling. My fingers tapped against the deck plating and I blindly reached for it. Some one took my hand and placed the coupling into my hand. I spun my head round to see who was behind me and came face-to-face with Gerron; our nose mere millimetres away from each other. I smiled and turned back to my work.

"Do you enjoy sneaking up on me? That's the third time this week isn't it?" I heard him kneel down next to me and hand me a device that worked like a blow-torch, but instead of a flame it was a proton beam. As I activated the beam he spoke.

"I apologise if I frightened you, I should have let you know I was here." I shrugged my shoulders and passed the tool back to him before picking up another. I looked over my shoulder to reply.

"I wasn't frightened. It takes a lot more than someone standing behind me to spook me." He gave a small smile.

"Is that a challenge then?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and I noticed that Gerron wasn't wearing his bandages. I reached down for his injured hand and inspected the healing wound.

"Why did you take them off?" I ran a finger down the middle of the cut and Gerron shivered slightly. "It still needs to be covered until it has completely healed." I looked up.

"I forgot how to wrap it." He said simply.

"You forgot how to wrap them. After I showed you the first time and the second; and yesterday when you _forgot_ to wrap them. I have three more relays to check before I can take a break. Meet me in the medical bay after and I will show you how to wrap them again."

"I'll give you a hand, then you can take your break earlier than if you do it on your own." He said packing one of the cases up. I began to pack the other and replaced the wall panel.

"I thought you had the morning off. Why would you want to spend it working?" I asked him. Time to ourselves was dependant on the area of space we were travelling in. As this part of space was relatively quiet, less people were working and had more free time. He shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject.

"Are you looking forward to getting of the ship for a while?"

"The last time I was on a planet here, I was being shot at."

"There'll be no one shooting at you this time."

"Why? Will you be me knight in shining armour?" I asked giving Gerron a wide smile. In return he gave me a puzzled look. "Never mind, it's an earth expression."

"You have a unique collection of phrases. Are they common where you're from?" My hands fumbled with the clasp on the case but Gerron didn't notice. I cleared my throat.

"Yes they are common in my time, though our language is constantly evolving; they may have become outdated already." Standing up I began to walk to the next relay, Gerron fell into step beside me.

"Do you miss it?" He asked cautiously. I lowered my gaze to the floor before lifting my head high.

"Sometimes. If I have trouble sleeping and wake up abruptly. I wake up expecting to be back in my room back in my time. Or if I feel like talking to my grandfather, I go to leave to walk to the cemetery, but find myself walking out into the corridor outside my quarters. But on the other hand, I get to fly through space, meet exciting new people and I get to wear leather, something my mother would never have let me do." I gave him a wide smile. "What about your home life, where did you live before joining the Maquis?" He sighed heavily and it was a while before he spoke, as though he was choosing his words carefully.

"I grew up on a planet called Bajor, it is similar to Earth but the vegetation isn't as rich and dense. I was born during the Cardassian Occupation and life was hard." He paused.

"Gerron, I'm sorry to hear that, if it's too difficult for you to talk about I understand." I said, trying to avoid talking about something that was clearly a sensitive subject.

"Its ok, it might be good to talk about it. The conditions the Cardassian's forced us to live in were harsh, labour camps for those who were strong enough to work, those who weren't were either killed or used for experimentation." I opened my mouth to ask a question but quickly. Gerron nodded for me to speak.

"What type of experimentation?" I asked quietly.

"Mostly medical, I made the mistake of going near one of the tents that were used to house the patients. Their screams haunted my dreams for weeks after that." Gerron spat the word _patients_. He stopped walking and waited for two crewman to walk past us. I watched them walk away with the corner of my eye. Once they were out of sight I turned my attention back to Gerron, his expression was very dark and I could feel the anger emanating from his body. "My parents were killed in a mining accident when I was twelve. I stowed aboard a cargo ship at the first opportunity I got. I spent the next couple of months travelling from one planet to another, getting as far away from Bajor as I could. I meet up with several of the other Maquis on a planet, I lent a hand and I've been here ever since." I reached out with my hand to place it on his shoulder but stopped, my arm outstretched in midair.

"I'm…" I'm what? Sorry? What a stupid thing to even think of saying. Gerron looked up and reached out to my outstretched hand. Sliding his fingers around mine, he took a step forward and squeezed my hand gently.

"I understand and thank you."

"For what?" I asked, meeting his gaze.

"For listening without judging me."

"Gerron, I would never consider judging you because of your past. You could be royalty and I wouldn't care, unless you were a pompous arse then it might be different. I'm rambling aren't I?" He nodded as he smiled.

"Royalty?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ok perhaps I could have used a better example but I hope you understood my meaning?" He nodded. I looked down at our entwined hands. "I should get back to work. Thank you for sharing with me, I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to tell." I let my hand drop from his and continued on my path down the corridor. I smiled as I heard his footsteps fall into line with mine.

"I thought we had agreed that it would be quicker with two people."

"If that is how you want to spend your free time, then so be it." I replied kneeling by the next conduit that needed maintenance. Pulling off the wall panel I held my hand out, "Scanner please?"

I was sat down in the Mess Hall that evening about to start my dinner when I heard the clank of a tray being set down on the table. I looked up to see who it belonged to.

"B'lanna, what can I do for you?" I asked leaping out of my seat to stand up, worried that I had messed up the maintenance today. She was stood over me with her arms crossed with a serious look on her face. "Was there something wrong with my report?" She broke into a smile.

"Relax Jackson; I would like to join you if I could?" I nodded and gestured to the chair opposite me. She sat down and waited for me to do the same. Once I sat down, we both picked up our sporks and began to eat our meal. "So how are you finding things?" I looked up and saw she was watching me intently.

"I think I'm getting there. I'm no longer getting lost on my runs in the evening and I don't have to get up an hour early to get to Engineering on time any more. I just wish that I could absorb the lessons quicker." I ran a hand through my hair. "I seem to go through the same routine. Get up, go to Engineering, go to lessons, have dinner, go for a run, shower and then study everything I went over in the lessons. For some reason I can't seem to concentrate on the material."

"Perhaps you have something on your mind?" B'lanna suggested. "Perhaps there is something holding you back?" I looked up suddenly. "Has Tuvok been able to offer any more insight on whether you might be able to return to your time? It has only been two months after all." I shook my head.

"Nothing definite, but he believes there may be a possibility that I might be able to get home."

"And how do you feel about this possibility to getting home?"

"I guess if I could go home I would, despite all that you have done for me, it's something familiar and home is home you know? I suppose that it is what I have been thinking about, albeit subconsciously but it may have be the thing that has been distracting me from my studies. I either never realised it or I didn't want to accept that I will never get back to my time. You must think me something awful to admit that." B'lanna shook her head.

"It's a natural reaction to circumstances that are out of our control. If there is any chance of hope, sometimes it can be all you think about. No one would think any less of you for wanting to go home." I sighed and felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "So what this I hear about you and Gerron?" I dropped my spork on the floor. I scrambled down to retrieve it, my face flushed with embarrassment.

"What have you heard?" I asked cautiously. She smiled knowing she had the upper hand.

"Oh this and that. Dalby saw the two of you holding hands in the corridor earlier today." I groaned and placed my head on the table.

"Who else knows?" I asked expecting the whole ship to have found out.

"Fear not, Dalby only told me. No one else knows. Your secret is safe." I sat up straight. "For now." She added. I rolled my eyes. "So what were you two talking about to result in holding hands?"

"Gerron was telling my about his childhood." Her smile vanished. "It was a comforting gesture, I doubt he sees me in a romantic way, after all we have only known each other for a couple of weeks. It's nice to have someone to talk to who is close to my age. I mean not that I don't enjoy talking to you, Mike and Dalby. I do truly, its just..."

"Relax. Stop worrying about what people think. I know what you're trying to say." I let out a breath I didn't realise I had been holding. "I think that Gerron will appreciate your friendship too. There aren't many people on this ship who are close to your age and people tend to stick to those who share similarities, often age is a contributing factor." I thought about what B'lanna had said whilst we eat in silence. It did make sense, but then I've never know B'lanna not to make sense. I put my spork down on my empty plate.

"If you'll excuse me B'lanna, I promised to re-dress Gerron's bandages. For some reason he keeps forgetting how." I stood and pushed my chair under the table.

"Perhaps he is looking for a reason to spend time with you?" I nodded.

"Perhaps, but he could be more obvious if he tried?" I smiled and B'lanna shrugged her shoulders. I picked up my plate and took it to be recycled. Placing it on the food hatch I made my way to the Medical Bay thinking about what B'lanna had said about letting go. Perhaps I was trying to hold onto the small bit of hope that I could actually return home and was trying to protect myself subconsciously for when I did get home. The period of withdrawal from the relationships I had formed with the Maquis crew over the past several months would be difficult and I know myself well enough to admit that if I did return to my time, I would mourn the loss of my new friends.

"Are you alright?" I looked up and saw that I had reached the Medical Bay and was standing in front of Gerron. I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts I hadn't even realised I had reached my destination. "You looked a million miles away."

"I guess I was, had you been waiting long?" He shook his head and handed me something. It turned out to be the bandages I needed to wrap his hand. He sat on a bed and held out his hand. "Do you really forget how to do this or is there another reason?"

"You think I have an ulterior motive?" He asked innocently.

"It is a hypothesis that I'm working on, would you like to prove I'm right?" I kept my eyes on the bandage wrapping it tightly.

"You seem quite confident that you are right. Perhaps you are wrong."

"Perhaps I am, but you do not know what this hypothesis is. I would tell you but then where would the fun be?" I looked up to watch his expression and smiled as his cheeks began to exude a rosy hue. "Are you blushing?" I asked him. Gerron cleared his throat and began looking around the room to avoid looking at me. I pretended to take offence to see what his reaction would be. "Do I repulse you that much you can't look at me?" His head whipped round.

"No! What I mean to say is, I was wondering if you would like to watch a sunrise with me when we reach the planet, I imagine it'll be quite something for you to witness." I felt my own cheeks begin to burn. I focused on securing the bandage. I looked up.

"I would love to watch the sunrise with you." I cleared my throat. "Well it's finished, do you think you'll be able to do it next time?" Gerron shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll let you know." He said standing up. "I'll walk you to your quarters."

"Don't worry, I don't have selective amnesia like you, I remember the way. But I would like the company."

* * *

"What do you mean my molecules will be dismantled then put back together? What if I end up with someone else's head?"

"Relax Keira, transporters have been in use for years and I've never heard of someone ending up with two heads. It's completely painless, you're worrying about this too much."

"But I still don't know why I can't go down to the planet on a shuttle, surely there is room?"

"I'm afraid not, all the space will be needed for storage containers. Besides you were beamed aboard when we first encountered you."

"Yeah, I was unconscious at the time and in no position to argue."

"Well this time you'll be conscious. It'll be fine."

"But…"

"No buts, take this data padd up to Chakotay." I groaned and took the padd from Mike. He ruffled my hair like he usually does when we argue. I straightened it out and glared at him before leaving the Cargo Bay. On my way up to the Bridge, Dalby ran to catch up with me.

"Mike tells me you're worried about using the transporters to get to the planet."

"Yeah so?" I said defensively. "He said that it would be fine."

"Well I guess you didn't hear what happened on Sedonus Prime?" I stopped and looked at him sceptically.

"Sedonus Prime?" He nodded and gestured to keep walking.

"Sedonus Prime. What a tragedy. They were doing a routine beam out from the planet's surface after a routine mining expedition. They were standing, waiting at the scheduled beam out point. All seemed to be going well and the team were happy and joking. Yet when they rematerialized on their ship everything took a turn for the worse." I stopped walking.

"How so?" I asked, in barely a whisper.

"When they rematerialized on the transporter padd, two of them had been turned inside out, their hearts beating an even rhythm. Another had his bones removed and pooled on the floor. Their officers could only watch as each of those men died painful and agonising deaths because they couldn't be bothered to repair their shuttle. Hey are you alright? You look a little pale." I felt extremely queasy but managed to give Dalby a small smile.

"I'm fine, these accidents don't happen often do they?" Dalby shook his head.

"Not very often, I'm sure you'll be fine and will materialize in one piece." He patted my shoulder and continued to walk down the corridor. My eyes widened at the mental image Dalby's story gave me and my stomach churned unpleasantly. I took a deep breath and slowly made my way to the Bridge. The door hissed open and I looked round the room for Chakotay. I spotted him as he walked out of his office.

"Ah Keira what can I do for you?" I held out the padd.

"Mike asked me to bring this to you." He took the padd and glanced at the screen briefly.

"Thank you. By the way you look a little pale, are you alright?" I nodded meekly. "Are you nervous about visiting the planet?"

"More the method of travel than the actual visiting; Dalby was telling me about the incident on Sedonus Prime."

"Sedonus Prime, I'm not sure I've heard of that one."

"Really, you haven't heard how the mining team was rematerialized inside out or without their bones?" Chakotay shook his head.

"I'm afraid that Dalby is pulling your leg. That never happened."

"But he sounded so convincing. Wait till I get my hands on him." I said clenching my fists.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to get you so worried. Why do you feel apprehensive about transporting?"

"It's the whole having my molecules ripped apart then put back together again that I just don't feel comfortable with."

"It is understandable; it will be your first transport where you will be conscious. However if it wasn't safe to do so I wouldn't put anyone in a position they would not be comfortable with. I'll arrange for you to go down on the shuttle."

"No! If you do that, Mike will never let me forget it. I will beam down normally and just hope that I appear in one piece and in the right order." Chakotay nodded. "Is there anything I should know about this planet, I have been speaking to several people but they all say the same thing."

"I would recommend you stay with one of the crew at all times to prevent getting lost, the colony is big. Also stay within the boundary of the colony, the vegetation is thick and can be dangerous especially at night." I nodded. "We will be reaching the planet tomorrow morning. Most of the crew will be beaming down in two hour intervals, with a skeleton crew remaining on board; they will be rotated every six hours. I've allotted you to have one day on the planet, I thought you would like the time to look around, also the sunrise is quiet beautiful when watched from the Doran valley.

"Thank you Captain, but what about the others, won't they see it as preferential treatment."

"Perhaps, but I am the Captain, so you leave that to me. I received a transmission from Mike's wife, it turns out she and their son's will be on the planet at the same time as we will be." I smiled. "But I would appreciate your discretion."

"Of course, he'll be so happy when he sees them. He has seemed sad since his last transmission from them. He could use the boost."

"Remember the transporter is harmless." I nodded and turned to leave the Bridge to return to me quarters for the night.

I tightened the grip on the strap of my shoulder bag that Mike had leant me which contained a change of clothes and a coin purse with a small amount of the credits that can be used for currency for any purchases. I looked over to Mike who winked. I turned my gaze front and centre and took a deep breath as the transporter was activated. A light tingling sensation hummed through my body and a blue light began to cloud my vision.

The next thing I knew I was standing on solid rock ground and the temperature had risen by several degrees. My vision swam before my eyes began to regain their focus. I slowly let out a breath and felt my stomach revolt against me. I dropped my bag and tumbled over to a group of bushes and promptly emptied my stomach of the breakfast I had eaten this morning.

"Are you ok?" Mike called over to me. I raised a hand and began to collect myself.

"I'm ok." I walked back over to where I had dumped my bag and picked it up. I turned my attention to the colony and saw a woman smoothing down the hair of a young boy stood in front of her. His younger brother stood close by. The youngest looked over and pointed towards us. "Hey Mike, do you know them?" I asked nodding over to the boy.

"Know who?" He looked over and a huge smile spread on his face. "It can't be?" The boy's mother and older brother both looked up towards us. I felt something drop next to my foot and I saw it was Mike's bag. The two boys ran over towards us and the closer they got, I knew why they seemed familiar.

"Daddy!" The youngest, Jack yelled and leapt into Mike's open arms and he hugged him tight. Charlie also launched himself at Mike.

"My boys, it's so good to see you. Have you been behaving for your mother?" Both boys nodded their heads vigorously. The woman who had been stood with them had walked up to us and stopped a few meters away. Mike looked up and his smile remained but it was softer, warming. He let go of his children and stood up. "Coradana." I watched as he walked over towards her and engulfed her in a crushing hug. I averted my gaze away from their emotional reunion. I felt someone poke me in the leg.

"Who are you?" Jack asked me.

"My name is Keira Jackson; I work with your father. And who might you be?" Jack puffed out his chest and rocked on his heels.

"My name is Jack Ayala and I'm six years old." His brother stood in front of him.

"My name is Charlie Ayala and I'm nine."

"Wow nine, that's an impressive age." Jack began to look sad. "So what do you boys do for fun?" I asked them. They both began to speak together and very quickly it was hard to make out what they were saying. My eyes darted back and forth trying to keep up.

"Hey boys slow down and speak one at a time. What have I told you about rushing when you speak?" He reprimanded his children. They both mumbled an apology. I ruffled their heads.

"That's ok, no harm done."

"Keira, this is my wife, Coradana. Cora, this is Keira, the girl we found." Cora held out her hand and I did the same.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Mike has talked non stop since you came on board. If I didn't know any better I'd be jealous." She smiled looking at us both.

"Jealous? I didn't mean…" Cora smiled and I realised she was joking.

"From what Chakotay tells me you keep my husband in check."

"I share that job with B'lanna." Mike sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Are you too finished? I was going to give you a tour of the colony but if you continue to gang up on me, I may reconsider."

"Did I mention what a great teacher Mike is?" Mike patted my shoulder.

"Nice try, you know flattery doesn't work on me."

"So you'll give me the tour?" I asked as I looked up expectantly. Mike pinched my cheek.

"How can I resist this adorable face?" I swatted his hand away from my cheek and Jack and Charlie both grabbed my hands. They both ran towards the colony, to a place that looked like a market place. When we reached the entrance they both began to run in opposite directions.

"Whoa! Steady I need my arms." Jack stopped pulling but his older brother continued to pull. Jack and I were pulled by Charlie's strength. Jack tried to keep is balance but he caught his foot on a large rock and began to stumble and fell towards the ground. With Charlie still pulling my other arm I watched helplessly as Jack headed towards the hard floor. I saw Mike and Cora running towards us out of the corner of my eye but they were too far away to do anything. I blinked and the next thing I see is a pair of tanned arms around Jack's waist. I looked up to see the face of Jack's rescuer. My hazel eyes met piercing blue and a smile flashed across his handsome face.

"Careful now, you wouldn't want to hurt yourself." He said as he put Jack back on his feet. As soon as Jack was steady he ran towards Mike with Charlie closely following him. Mike knelt to see if he was hurt. "Cute kid, is he yours?" I whipped my head back round.

"What? No he's the son of a friend of mine." The stranger raised his hands.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean anything by it."

"That's ok, thank you, for catching him. I'm sure there'd be a few more tears if you hadn't."

"It was nothing, I'm just glad to have been in the right place at the right time. I saw you beam down, you aren't from Chakotay's ship by any chance?"

"Who wants to know?" I asked.

"My apologies, I'm Tom. Tom Paris, the new pilot." He held out his hand. I studied his face for a few seconds before extending my own.

"Keira Jackson."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He gave a cocky smile. Mike walked over to us and he didn't look happy.

"Come on Keira, there are some friends I'd like you to meet. You can talk with Paris later." I could tell from his tone that he didn't like Tom and so could Tom.

"We I'm sure we'll see each other on the ship." He said letting go of my hand, his gaze locked with Mike's.

"Yes it was nice to meet you." I watched as he turned and walked away. Once he was out of earshot I rounded on Mike. "What was that about, he was just being nice?"

"Lets just say there are skeletons in his past that he is running from and thinks the Maquis will offer a safe haven. Plus his opinion of women isn't very high."

"I was just saying hello, I wasn't about to jump into bed with him. Have a little faith."

"I have faith in you, Paris not so much, just stay away from him."

"But…"

"Promise me." His tone was final.

"Okay I promise. So is this tour going to start any time soon or will I reach eighty first?" Mike cracked a small smile on his stern face and pointed to one of the stalls. He began to describe the different vegetables for sale. "You know you have the grumpy dad act perfected."

The tour ended several hours later with Mike showing me where I was going to stay the night with his family.

"Go Mike; spend some time with your family. I'll still be here tomorrow."

"But you're sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"I'm sure, now go enjoy the time you have left." I said practically pushing him to go back inside.

"Okay, but don't wander to far from the main compound." I gave him a salute.

"Aye-aye sir." He shook his head with disbelief before walking over to the tent where his family were having dinner.

"And here I was thinking he would never leave."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This story is temporarily on hold as I have had trouble with finishing the second part to this chapter. I hope that inspiration will strike soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always your reviews help to be a better writer.

Blackdomino.


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